Former Iowa Star Put Up Massive Performance in NFL Week 14 Action

A former Iowa Hawkeyes star put up a massive performance in NFL Week 14 action.

Sep 17, 2016; Iowa City, IA, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes tight end George Kittle (46) tries to avoid the tackle of North Dakota State Bison safety Robbie Grimsley (5) during the game at Kinnick Stadium. North Dakota State won 23-21. / Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

One former Iowa Hawkeyes star put up the biggest game that he has had all season in NFL Week 14 action. That former Iowa star is none other than San Francisco 49ers' tight end George Kittle.

With his team badly needing a win to stay alive in the race for the playoffs, Kittle came through with a monstrous performance.

Against the Chicago Bears, Kittle caught six passes for a staggering 151 yards. Those numbers average out to a shocking 25.2 yards per reception.

Behind his elite performance, the 49ers were able to dominate the Bears by a final score of 38-13.

At 31 years old, Kittle is still one of the best tight ends in the NFL. Year in and year out, he continues to dominate opposing defenses and build onto his legacy.

During his career with the Hawkeyes, Kittle was a solid but not amazing tight end prospect. He ended up earning the honor of being the No. 146 overall pick in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft.

Clearly, there weren't many NFL teams who expected him to become this kind of player either.

Speaking of his college career at Iowa, Kittle only ended up with 48 catches for 737 yards and 10 touchdowns in his four years with the program. Needless to say, those are not numbers to write home about.

Looking at his NFL career numbers, there is a massive difference.

In 109 career games played, Kittle has caught 516 passes for 7,074 yards and 45 touchdowns. He has completely blown the expectations from the 2017 draft out of the water.

Over the years, the Hawkeyes have turned out a lot of great NFL talent. Kittle might very well be the best of them.

All of that being said, San Francisco is barely alive in the NFC playoff race. They hold a 6-7 record entering Week 15.

If they are going to have any chance of making a run and getting into the playoffs, they will need Kittle to be a big part of leading the way.